Some interesting info.
> * One dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower than the first 8 rows
> at Daytona.
> * Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro
per
> second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747 but with 4
> times the energy release per volume.
> * The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes.
> * With nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on
> overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly-solid form before
> ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.
> * Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is equivalent to
the
> output of an arc welder in each cylinder.
> * At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame
> front of nitro methane measures 7050 degrees F.
> * Nitro methane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the
> stacks at night is burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water
> vapor by the searing exhaust gases.
> * Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After 1/2 way,
> the engine is dieseling from compression-plus the glow of exhaust valves
at
> 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down by cutting of it's fuel
> flow.
> * If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in
> those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder
heads
> off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.
> * Dragsters twist the crank (torsionally) so far (20 degrees in the big
end
> of the track) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from front to
rear
> to re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to synchronization with the
> pistons.
> * To exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average
> of over 4G's. But in reaching 200 mph well before 1/2 track, launch
> acceleration is closer to 8G's.
> * Drivers shut off before the finish line, or even dual parachutes will
not
> stop the car.
> * If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once
> NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs $1000.00 per second.
> * Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this
> sentence.
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